Not the New Rachel
by Maureen Anson
Summary: Bothered by Unique's comments to him, Artie decides to set the record straight and ends up making a unique proposition.
1. Chapter 1

Not the New Rachel

By Maureen Anson

Standard Disclaimers Apply.

**"Why do you hate strong black women?"**

The question rang in Artie's ears, echoing around and he tried to distract himself at practice, through dinner that night at home and as he got ready for bed. It didn't work. Laying in bed he sighed as the digital numbers changed from 12:54am to 12:55am. The question plagued him. Well, no. It wasn't the question specifically, it was the implications of it and the meaning behind it. That bothered him greatly.

Reaching for his glasses, Artie slipped them on before disconnecting his cell phone from the charger. Now, did he save Wade's number as Wade or as Unique? Scrolling through, he found it under Unique Wade. Aha! That was a good way to save it. Wade was Unique after all. Pun intended. Selecting the name, he sent a text message not expecting an answer, _Can we talk? Tomorrow after school, Lima Bean. – Artie_

The next day in school, classes seemed to drag forever, which was both good and bad. On the one hand, it put the conversation off and Artie had no idea what exactly he wanted to say. He kept rehearsing things in his mind and came up with zip. Nada. Plus, he hated confrontation, which this could easily turn into. On the other hand though, he needed to get this resolved, if only for his own subconscious. The question was still plaguing him and driving him nuts. At least Unique had texted him back that morning that she'd meet him there, which took the stress of wondering if she would even show off his back.

After school, Artie had to wait for his dad to pick him up to take him to the coffee house so when he arrived Unique was already there with a drink and a table. Giving her a smile, he went to the counter to order his own drink and then joined her. "Thanks for meeting me," he said with a genuine smile. He didn't know Unique very well (or Wade), but he did want to get to know her better.

"What's this about?" she asked, curious. She hadn't expected to wake up to a text from anyone, much less Artie. He was nice enough in Glee, but she didn't know him yet.

She cut right to the chase. He could respect that. "Your comment the other day, after I announced the new Rachel," he replied, meeting her eyes squarely. "It bothered me."

Unique waved it off with a hand, "I was angry," she dismissed it.

Artie nodded, "Be that as it may," he replied, "you wouldn't've said it if you didn't believe it on at least some level and that says a lot about you…and how you see me. And it bothers me, a lot." To the point where he had lost sleep over it, though he didn't mention that. "I've been thinking all day about what I could say or how to make you believe that the colour of your skin or anything else about your physical person or personality had no bearing on my decision at all and…there's nothing I can say to prove it. It's my word against your beliefs and I can't argue that."

He took a breath and a sip of his coffee, aware that he had Unique's attention now, "Part of me also says that I don't need to justify my decision to anyone, you asked me to choose and you all competed and I made my choice. You don't know me though and we're going to be in glee together for the year. I don't want to start it off with you thinking I'm racist."

"Artie!" Unique interrupted, shocked that this bothered him so much. "It was just a stupid comment. Ignore it. I can be a drama queen."

Touché. She most definitely was something of a diva, but that seemed to come with the Glee territory. She wouldn't have been the star of Vocal Adrenaline and performed at Nationals in a dress if she wasn't something of a diva. "I can't ignore it, no matter how much if a queen you are," Artie's lips quirked into a smile. "See…this is my family," he reached for his cell phone, pulling up a picture of him with his parents. The contrast between the dark chocolate tones of his parents and his paleness was dramatic.

For once, Unique had no idea what to say. That was unexpected to say the least. "Albino?" she finally hazarded, though Artie didn't look like he was, even if he dyed his hair.

Putting his phone away, Artie shook his head, "Adopted," he explained, though albino was not an uncommon assumption. "It's a long story, but I know all about strong black women and how you don't cross them without risking serious bodily harm. I don't know how well you knew Mercedes last year…" he knew she'd done something with Wade or maybe it was Unique, but he wasn't sure what it was.

"Oh, Unique knows ALL about Mercedes," she assured him, feeling more in control now.

"Good," Artie smiled, "Well, we basically grew up together. Our parents are good friends and we sang in the church choir and all that. So anyways, I don't hate strong black women actually," he reached out, taking her hand, "I admire them."

Was he flirting with her? This was so far out of her experience, she had no idea what to do! Of course, Unique had always imagined her prince charming and being swept off her feet, but at the same time, she had never pictured the first guy to make a move to be Artie Abrams, here and now.

In truth, Artie hadn't ever considered this part. It was all ad libbed. It was also all the truth, too. "You're beautiful, Unique. And I want to get to know you better," something stopped him from asking her on a date just yet. Maybe it was her slight deer in the headlights sort of look.

"What about being the new Rachel?" she asked, eyes narrowing.

"I'm not changing my decision," Artie stated firmly. "But why would you want to be an imitation? Your name is Unique. Be Unique and forget Rachel." He understood why the other members of New Directions wanted to be the star and felt they had to compete against each other to be the star instead of sharing the spotlight because that was how Mr. Schuester had run things for the past three years. He had always disagreed with it, even if he had never said anything. He'd considered a lot of things in his decision before choosing Blaine and talent was the least of those factors. They were all talented in their own way.

Artie made a good point, she had to admit. "I bet you tell all the girls they're beautiful," she chided, giving him an out. As far as she knew, Artie was straight. And she might be a women, but there was a man still under those curves.

"No," Artie disagreed, "Only the ones who are beautiful, especially on the inside. Dinner tomorrow night? Breadsticks? " It was the date restaurant after all. Part of him wondered what the hell he was doing, asking Unique on a date and part of him just didn't care because she was a beautiful woman. And well…he did like strong, black women. It was too bad that Mercedes had never been interested in him or he would have been all over that!

Oh God, he WAS asking her on a date. There was absolutely no denying it or the sheer, unadulterated terror the idea generated. Very unexpected terror. Swallowing, Unique pulled her hair from his, "Artie…" she spoke quietly, steeling herself for the blow she knew would come, "Are you asking Unique or Wade?"

The question made Artie pause. "Does it matter?" he asked after a moment. "You're the same person. Different outsides, but the same beautiful insides. I'll meet you at Breadsticks tomorrow night at 7pm. You dress however you are most comfortable. I am sure you will look amazing either way."

The blow didn't come. Unique had no idea how to deal with this. Blinking for a moment, she stood, towering over Artie. Wade might not wear heels, but Unique did regardless of her height. "Alright," she agreed. "Tomorrow, 7pm."

And with that, she left.

Artie sat there a while longer, watching her leave before relaxing a little. She'd said yes. He wanted to cheer and shout to everyone that she'd said yes! She hadn't made a comment about his wheelchair or his lack of height compared to her or his skin or his sexuality or anything. She'd simply said yes!

The pressure from earlier was gone and replaced by an entirely new set of butterflies in his stomach. These were the familiar ones though, the ones brought on by a first date. Texting his dad that he was done and headed out to the parking lot to wait, Artie wanted to make sure that the date went absolutely perfectly.


	2. Chapter 2

Not the New Rachel

By Maureen Anson

Still don't own anyone.

A date. A date. With a boy. A date. Unique kept repeating these words to herself over and over, not quite believing that they were true. She had been asked out on a date! Granted, the guy asking was also Artie Abrams, who….well. Not quite what she envisioned as her dream prince, but as her mother said, sometimes you had to kiss a few frogs until you found that prince. And Artie wasn't really a frog. He wasn't a frog at all.

The question was, did she go as Unique or as Wade? Artie clearly knew that she had a boy's body and she had no idea how that would affect him even he had left it open for how she would arrive. Part of her said she should go as Unique and dress in her absolutely fabulous best. Part of her said she should go as Wade as a sort of test. It was a difficult decision.

"I'm home, Gran!" she called as she entered the house. Her parents had always known that their son was gay, but they hadn't been prepared for him to prefer women's clothes and to unofficially change his name to Unique. They hadn't kicked him out, they were as supportive as two people completely in over their heads could be, but they had all agreed that if he wanted to go to McKinley and dress as a women then he should go live with his grandmother. Her house was closer to that high school and more than that, she just didn't care what s/he wore so long as s/he made the grades and didn't get in trouble. Unique wanted to be just like her when she was old.

"In here!" her grandmother called from the back bedroom. It was her craft room and unsurprisingly, she was seated at the table working the serger with a knee with yards of material pooling on the other side of the table. "How was school, dear?"

"Good," Unique didn't want to discuss school. "I have a date tomorrow!" She couldn't keep it a secret, it was too amazing to keep to herself!

That made the serger stop, the room suddenly quiet. "A date?" her grandmother questioned, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Unique took a seat in the other chair and began removing her shoes. "Why not?" she asked, knowing exactly why not.

Her grandmother just gave her a Look. The one that said she wasn't fooling anyone. "So, tell me about this boy then." It was not a suggestion.

Taking a deep breath, Unique tried to sort out where to begin, "His name is Artie Abrams. He's a senior at McKinley and in the Glee club with me. And yes, he knows me both as Wade and Unique. In fact, he said I should dress however it is most comfortable to me tomorrow, so he's not put off by anything."

Gran nodded, relieved to hear the last part. "And how are you going to dress?" She knew better than to ask what her grandchild would wear, not yet anyways.

"I haven't decided," Unique admitted quietly. "I can see it both ways."

"Is he on facebook?" Gran asked. "I want to see this young man that has asked you out." She wanted to make sure that this wasn't a joke, just in case.

Getting up, Unique padded over to her room in bare feet, then came back with her laptop and opened the website, pulling Artie up. Gran looked through it for a moment, then smiled. "You didn't mention that he's Pastor Abrams' son!"

That made Unique blink. "Pastor Abrams?" she asked, confused. She didn't go to church, though her Gran did.

Gran nodded, "The senior pastor at church," she explained, "He has three children and his middle child and oldest boy is Artie. Adopted, obviously" she added, though Unique had found that out earlier. "His daughter is in college and then they have a younger boy as well. Artie's very sweet. Sings in the choir."

Talking with her Gran for a little while longer didn't yield any more information about Artie, Gran didn't actually know him though she knew his parents. Well, that was fine. Taking her laptop back to her room, Unique closed the door.

There was only one song appropriate for this and soon the strains of Dusty Springfield's Son of a Preacher Man were coming through her bedroom door despite it being closed. Picking up her cell phone, Unique wasn't sure who she should call. Mercedes was her first thought, but she was off in LALA land trying to make it big as a singer. No…she needed someone local. With a smile, she called Tina.

"I knew it!" Tina yelled into her phone before lowering her voice so her entire house wouldn't hear the phone call.

"Knew what?" Unique asked, a little worried now. Maybe she shouldn't have called Tina since she had also been competition for the new Rachel. Blaine hadn't seemed that close with Artie though and Brittany well. Brittany was a special case.

"I knew he wasn't completely straight!" Tina explained, the glee evident in her voice. "He was way too into Mr. Martinez last year! So what are you going to wear?" she asked, thrilled for them both. She and Mike had broken up, but…well, the Artie ship had sailed for her.

"Well…I don't know if I should go as Wade or Unique," she confessed after a moment. That was the starting point.

Oh, point. Tina hadn't considered the problem of choosing which gender to represent. "What were you wearing when he asked you out?" she finally asked.

"What I wore to school today," Unique replied, unsure where Tina was going with that.

Tina had no idea where she was going with this either. "Well…wear whatever makes you feel the best," she finally advised. "And he likes it when a girl orders dessert or at least splits it with him. He has a major sweet tooth."

"Good to know," Unique would make sure she split something with him then. "Any other tidbits? And how do you know this anyways?"

Laughing, Tina couldn't help but grin and it was evident in her voice, "Artie and I were best friends for years and we dated for a while. He loves strong women. And most definitely are." Brittany hadn't been, but then Brittany had other…attributes.

And score one for Artie. "I didn't know that," now she felt bad about calling Tina to gloat about her date. All she had known was that Tina had been dating the other Asian guy in New Directions and he had apparently graduated and they'd broken up.

"Oh, it was back freshman year," Tina wasn't bothered by it at all. "We've both dated other people since then. So long as you're both happy, go for it!"

Oh, good. That was reassuring. "Well…I'm going to raid my closet. Thanks, Tina!"

Tina wasn't sure what she had done exactly, but great, "Good luck, Unique!" she agreed before hanging up the phone.

Opening her closet doors, Unique smiled as she looked over her options. Whatever she decided, this outfit would be epic!


	3. Chapter 3

Not the New Rachel

By Maureen Anson

Standard disclaimers apply. I don't own anything. Seriously. Nothing.

Originally, this chapter was going to be their date and the end. Their date doesn't want to end though...therefore, there will be more!

Sometimes, Artie hated not being able to drive. Not all the time, but sometimes. Usually it wasn't a big deal, his parents were pretty cool about taking him where he needed to go so long as he gave them a reasonable amount of warning and his friends drove him around sometimes, too. The only time he hated not being able to drive was when he had dates. It was so uncool having to pick a date up with your parents driving or worse, to have her pick him up. It was one thing if they had been dating for a while, but for a first date? No no no.

Therefore, Artie met Unique at Breadsticks. That avoided the embarrassment of picking her up with his dad and worse, of her picking him up. Maybe it would be different if Lima had better public transportation, or any sort of public transportation, but it was too small to have anything as useful as that. That was also why he couldn't drive, Lima wasn't a huge place and there wasn't a need for an adaptive driving school or a regular driving school to offer it. When he went to college, Artie intended to go someplace large enough that he could learn, even if he didn't have a car. It was a matter of principle.

He had dressed up for this date, not intending to be too fancy, but he wanted to make a good impression. He knew Unique, no matter what she wore, would look fabulous and while he had no desire or ability to compete with her for fabulousness, he still didn't want to look like he didn't care. Therefore, he was clad in dark slacks and a white button up shirt, but instead of one of his usual brightly coloured sweaters with their exotic designs, he wore a grey vest with blue pinstripes shot through it. According to his mother, it made the blue in his eyes stand out. Hopefully, his mother was right and not just saying that to humour her son.

How many dates had he been on in this restaurant anyways? Several with Brittany and one with Becky Jackson and even a couple with Tina. And a few with Tina and Mike as double dates and then….well. There had been Sugar's party last Valentine's where he had gone with Tina and Mike as a three-some. It was unfair that he hadn't gotten any of the benefits of being a three-some either. He was open to it. Mike and Tina…not so much. They were practically doing it like rabbits back then, too.

Nervously, he tried not to toy with his hands as he waited for Unique to arrive. The hostess had offered to show him to a table to wait, but he had opted to wait in the entry instead for her. He was at least trying to be a gentleman. Unique was a lady after all.

It had taken Unique three hours to get ready for this date, mostly because she couldn't decide what to wear. Should she dress as Wade or Unique? In the end, Unique won if only because she had more fabulous wardrobe. Most of Wade's clothes were…serviceable and stylish in their own way, but not nearly as fabulous as she was.

Walking into Breadsticks, she hoped her nerves didn't show. She wasn't worried about tripping in her heels or anything like that, but that didn't mean that other things wouldn't go wrong. Smiling as she spied Artie she wondered, not for the first time, if she should have worn heels or flats. She preferred heels, they made her calves look fantastic, but Artie was already so short in his chair and there was no doubting that she was a bigger girl.

He didn't seem to mind though he broke out with a giant smile the moment he saw her and offered her his hand. Now that was better. "Artie," she said as a greeting. He looked freshly showered and a little nervous.

"Unique," he replied, "You look amazing. I knew you would, but…I had no idea how," Artie wasn't exactly the most fashionable or knowledgeable about male or female fashions. Did that comment even make sense?

The hostess was ready with a couple menus and led them to a table instead of a booth. Artie could move from his chair to a booth, but it was easier not to. The only time he sat in the booths had been when he was with Brittany, because she had insisted. It had been one of her many quirks.

Thanking the hostess, they took their seats and opened their menus. Artie knew what he wanted. He'd been to Breadsticks often enough to practically have the menu memorized. That left trying to make small talk for a few minutes. Um.

Unique simply accepted the compliment for what it was instead of critiquing Artie's delivery or how he phrased it. It was just flattering to know that she had that effect on someone. Taking her seat, she wondered if Artie could hold hands while walking – rolling? - or not. She hoped so. That was something she rather wanted to do and not simply at the table.

It took her a moment to look over the menu, it wasn't very different from a host of other Italian restaurants, but she had to weigh the portion size, how messy the dish was and whether or not she wanted dessert or not. She didn't want to make a pig of herself, but she also didn't want to eat like a waif. She clearly was not slim and svelte, though she thought she wore her weight well, especially with her height. Expecting a woman who was six feet tall to be a skinny Minnie like those anorexic supermodels was simply unrealistic and unhealthy. And there was absolutely nothing wrong with her health.

"I've heard that this is the date place," she commented, trying to begin conversation once she had chosen her meal. It meant that this date would most likely be seen by others for exactly what it was. That was both terrifying and thrilling.

Artie nodded, "It is," he agreed, "There are other places to go in Lima, too, but…tradition is Breadsticks. Anyone who's on a date comes here," it didn't matter how popular people were or not. This was where they went. "Have you been here before?"

Unique shook her head, "No," she replied, "I only moved here before the school year began. I usually went to places closer to my old house."

That's right, she had been zoned to Carmel High School. "Did your family move or did you just transfer?" Artie asked, "That's….kinda a long drive every day," not that long, but more than the few minutes he was used to.

"I moved in with my grandmother," Unique explained, "She's zoned to McKinley so that made the transfer easier. My parents…well, they love and support me, but are in over their heads when it comes to having a daughter."

Artie nodded, not entirely understanding since he didn't have any sort of similar experiences, but understanding what Unique was saying in a more general sense, "My parents have made similar comments about my sister," he agreed, amused by that. And his sister had always been a girl, which wasn't nearly as complicated as Wade becoming Unique! "She's in college now, which I think is good for everyone. It's a lot quieter!"

Unique laughed, nodding, "My grandmother goes to your father's church," she replied, "and mentioned you had a brother and sister. Or are they adopted? I'm not sure of how it's phrased." She had wondered about that and didn't want to offend.

"Oh, no," Artie shook his head with a smile, "They're both biological. I mean, my parents biological kids. It's kinda complicated. My parents are always my parents, that is, my adopted parents. And my siblings are just that, too. My birth parents died when I was younger and I don't really remember them, so I don't mention them much. There's no reason, really. But if I do, it's always as my birth parents," he had been lucky in that he hadn't really been a foster child or had birth parents still alive that he visited or anything like that. Of course, if his birth parents were still alive, he wouldn't've been adopted in the first place.

"But anyways, yes. I have an older sister in college and a younger brother who's a freshman in high school. He's on the football team and has no interest in Glee. I almost never see him actually," McKinley wasn't a huge school, but as a senior and a freshman they didn't share any classes and their schedules worked out so that they were rarely even near each other in the halls. They saw each other enough at home. "And yes, my dad's a pastor at a nearby church. What about your family?"

Unique shrugged, "My father works for the county overseeing DOT projects and my mother is a beautician," which worked in her favour as she got all her haircare and wig with her mother's professional discount. It wasn't exactly all that exciting though. "I have a younger brother in middle school, too," he was alright, for a little pest.

They were interrupted by their waitress bringing out their drinks and salads a moment later and conversation turned to other topics, like homework, teachers at McKinley and of course, the glee club. Artie's spoon scooped up some more tiramisu and he smiled at Unique, enjoying himself. "The last bite's for you," he said, pushing the plate towards her a little.

"Nu-uh!" she protested, "you're just trying to fatten me up! I am so full!"

Artie grinned, "No, it's the love bite," he explained. "You always give it to someone you care about," technically, love, but it was a little too soon for that. It was a romantic gesture nonetheless.

Oh, well, in that case, Unique scooped it up and savoured it, even if she did feel a little queasy at the idea of yet more food, even just one more bite. The food had been delicious and the company better. What now, she wondered as the date began to wind to a close.

Paying the check, Artie offered Unique his hand to get up, "So…I told my dad I'd text him when I was ready," he said as they headed out of the restaurant, "but, I'm not all that ready yet. Want to walk?" There wasn't anything so romantic like a park to stroll through, but it was the thought, right?

"I could take you home, if you wanted," Unique offered.

Oh. Well. "Um, sure," Artie agreed. Was Unique ready to go? He thought she'd been having a good time! Crap!

It took a few minutes to get in the car since Unique had to pull it around from where it was parked so Artie could get in, but then instead of heading out onto the street, she pulled it over to a more secluded parking space. Artie didn't need any more encouragement. As soon as the car was stopped, he had his seatbelt off and was turned to accept plenty of curvy, soft girl in his arms.


	4. Chapter 4

Not the New Rachel

By Maureen Anson

Standard disclaimers apply

Unique was all woman, that was Artie's first thought as she snuggled into his arms, but definitely not too much for him. Turning her head, Artie caught her full lips in a kiss. She did not taste like lip smackers either. Unique tasted of lipgloss and Italian food, her breath sweet and tasty. He liked that. She tasted real, not covered up by with too-strong mints. His eyes closed as the kiss deepened, nothing else mattering right now except that he had a gorgeous woman in his arms and he wanted to do his best to treat her right and make her feel so good.

Artie's kiss was sweet and polite, but with a definite sense of urgency or perhaps of wanting more. Unique wasn't really all that sure that she was doing it right, though it was kissing, how hard could it really be? It was more that she was worried that she'd crush him, he wasn't a very large guy, being both shorter and skinnier than she was. Plus, she had no idea what sort of things happened with his lower body and she didn't want to bother that. She hadn't asked because it hadn't seemed polite.

In the end, heart pounding and her brain whirling a mile a minute, Unique didn't do anything except kiss him back, letting Artie direct where and how the kiss went. He seemed to know what he was doing and content with how it was going, so that was good, right? And Artie had dated Tina, so she assumed that that was where he had gotten the experience.

When the kiss finally broke apart, Unique stared into Artie's eyes for a moment, "Now I know why they say a kiss can leave you breathless," she whispered, heart so loud in her ears that it was hard to hear herself.

"You taste good," Artie replied, which was perhaps a little nonsensical, but it made perfect sense in his head. Her tasting good was important.

Smiling, Unique glanced down at them for a moment, "I'm not…hurting you, am I?" she asked, unsure, but also not wanting to move.

"No," Artie assured her, reaching up to stroke her hair and then stopping. You did NOT touch a black woman's hair without permission and he knew she wore a wig. Instead, he stroked her shoulder, "I feel the pressure of you on me, but nothing else. And so long as you don't sit on me for hours and hours, you won't hurt me," and it wasn't her size, that was true of anyone. "People think I'm fragile, but I'm really not. There's enough metal in my back and legs that you would break before I would."

That sounded terrible! "Was…that a joke?" she asked finally, making herself a little more comfortable since she wouldn't hurt him,

"Yeah," Artie nodded, breaking out one of his boyish smiles, "Bad joke? Sorry. Still not gonna do a Humpty Dumpty on you though, I promise."

Reassured, Unique leaned in, kissing Artie back which he was only more than happy to return, arms around her lightly, exploring her back and arms, then down her thighs. He was attempting to be a gentleman and not cop a feel, but he desperately wanted to. He wanted to know what her boobs were made of. They had to be some sort of form, but…he wanted to see.

Shifting in his lap, Unique was unexpectedly faced with…a unique problem. Pun intended. It wasn't unique to most boys of course or probably to other girls like her, those with something a little extra under their skirts, but it was new to her at least in this situation.

Artie's eyes blinked open as she shifted, realizing as she brushed against him what had happened. "Hey, it's fine," Artie tried to reassured her.

"Awkward," Unique murmured, embarrassed.

Shrugging, Artie took a more philosophical approach, "The highest compliment, madam," he disagreed, the giggled a little in a most unmanly fashion, "Pun not intended, but highly *snort* appreciated!"

Unable to help it, Unique burst out laughing as well, Artie's humour and straightforward honesty was appreciated. "Ladies don't…pop wood," she replied, using a more crude way of phrasing it.

"Yet you did," Artie pointed out, "Here's the thing, Unique….you might dress like a lady and be a lady, but you've at least got boy parts under your skirt. I know that. And that doesn't bother me. I'm not entirely sure what name and pronoun you want me to use so I go by what you're wearing, but…I want to date you, okay? Wade or Unique, you're the same person and I like you. So…this," he placed his hand carefully against the odd bulge in her skirt, "it's the highest compliment. You like me and what I'm doing. I appreciate that."

Those…were the words that she had been desperate to hear her entire life and to hear them from Artie on her first date, well….Unique didn't quite know what to do. She did know one thing though as she firmly removed his hand, "Compliment or not, I'm not some ho-ho on the first date," she stated, making Artie grin unabashedly. "And I notice you're not having this problem, either," which did diminish his words slightly.

Kissing Unique along her neck and jaw, Artie finally replied, "I've got a little more experience with this," he explained, "I mean, with having a super sexy woman in my lap. Don't you worry, I am plenty into you. And I will be going home to a very long, very cold shower," and that kids was called respecting boundaries.

That almost made Unique feel bad. Almost. After all, she would be going home to the same shower. "So…how much more experience?" she asked, going back to that comment.

Gulp. "Um…." Did they really want to go there? Really? "I've dated a couple girls. Been on a few dates and stuff," yeah….keep it vague.

Unique gave him a Look.

What is it with women and that look? Artie wondered. It was the same one he had seen Mercedes make a few times when things were particularly batshit, especially with Mr. Schue and his mother made it from time to time as well. "I dated Tina freshman year and Brittany sophomore year," he clarified, not wanting the wrath of Unique on him after one date! The look didn't go away. "Brittany and I went all the way. And both cheated on me. I also went out with Becky Jackson once, but that was….more her into me than vice versa." There. That was it. They said confession was good for the soul and hopefully that was true.

"They cheated on you?" Unique was not impressed.

He nodded. "Tina with Mike and Brittany with Santana."

"I'm gonna shank them," Unique stated with absolute certainty. She gave Artie a kiss, as if that made it better and he didn't have the heart to say that he forgave them both and they were all friends this year. He also decided against warning Unique that cheating on him was a REALLY bad idea this time. "I won't do that," she whispered, lips brushing against his.

"Don't make promises you can't keep," he replied, meaning it.

"I'm not," she assured him. "I don't promise to be some great high school romance, but I won't cheat. I have more self-respect than that."

If it was possible, Artie would have swooned. As it was, he kissed her again, this time his tongue snaked into her mouth and a hand went to her bottom, gripping it as they enjoyed each other in the front seat of her car.

They didn't break apart until Artie's cellphone began to ring, the sounds of Thriller interrupting them. "Crap," he murmured, trying to find it. By the time he looked under the seats it had stopped ringing. Looking at the screen, Artie sighed, "It's my dad," he explained. Unique had sat up and was carefully adjusting her wig in the mirror.

A quick phone call and confirmation with Unique later, Artie smiled and took her hand, placing it on his crotch where he was most definitely hard now. "Sorry about that. I don't have a curfew, but when he has to pick me up, he gets cranky when it's too late on a Saturday night. Church tomorrow and all that." He had to go to church tomorrow regardless of what time he wandered in back home and he knew it, which he was okay with. Most weekends, he was in plenty early. "So thanks for agreeing to take me home."

"Of course," she agreed, "We should head back now though. We both need showers," she squeezed Artie for a brief moment before withdrawing it, "And you need to be up early." Plus, she wanted relief.

Artie nodded, understanding, though he was disappointed that it was ending. "I'll see you on Monday then," he agreed, refastening his seatbelt and reaching over to take her hand. "And ah…hopefully a lot more of you."

Did he mean skin or just in general? "You're very forward, Mr. Abrams," she twittered a little, pulling out of the parking lot finally, wig a little unkempt, but on correctly.

"I know what I like. And that is you." He wasn't ashamed of it or her.

"What about…other students?" she asked, hesitant to agree.

"What about them?" Artie shrugged, "We're in glee. The lowest of the low. If we date, it won't change anything. No one's opinions matter except our friends and we're not the first gay couple or the first straight couple or the first interracial one, so I don't see why it matters."

Unique squeezed his hand, "Then I would definitely like to see more of you," she agreed.

END


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